Laurent Gbagbo gave his first official statement since his return to Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, June 17. In a statement, the former president said he was “worried about the violence that is continuing in the country,” referring to the scuffles on the day of his arrival between his supporters who came to welcome him at the airport and the police. All day long, supporters were dispersed with tear gas around the airport in Abidjan.
Presented as a message of thanks, the communiqué – attributed to Laurent Gbagbo, but signed by his spokesman Justin Katinan Koné – dwells mainly on the clashes between the police and supporters of his Front populaire ivoirien party, who came en masse to cheer him as soon as the plane carrying him to Abidjan airport landed.
The former president “particularly thanks the Ivorian youth”, adding that the latter has sometimes paid “the heavy price illustrated by serious injuries caused by brutal violence that nothing justified”.
Laurent Gbagbo also said he was concerned about the violence that continues in Côte d’Ivoire, before calling for “restraint to finally give a chance for reconciliation to flourish,” he continued.
The former prisoner of the International Criminal Court maintains that the forces of order are responsible for these outbursts. This is proof, according to him, that “the road to reconciliation is still long.
For the moment, no official source has reported any injuries or arrests in the ranks of party supporters present at the airport for the return of their leader.